Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Winnipeg winter a shocker for stars
Connick, Zellweger look back on visit
But that's what happened to this entertainment reporter on Saturday morning while covering a press conference for the upcoming romantic comedy New in Town.
The challenger was Harry Connick Jr. who joined castmates Renee Zellweger and Siobhan Fallon Hogan on a podium at the W Hotel in Los Angeles to take reporters' questions about the film shot a year ago during a typically bone-chilling Winnipeg winter.
"Why do you live in that town," Connick asked me. "The people in that town... are amazing, but let's just be real: It's not human to live in a town like that, you know what I'm saying," Connick said.
"That's just crazy cold."
Connick was kidding around, but he can be forgiven for suffering some climate shock since he hails from the comparatively balmy climes of Louisiana.
New in Town, which was shot under the working title Chilled in Miami, stars the Oscar-winning Zellweger as a Miami executive forced to relocate to the Minnesota town of New Ulm to restructure a food-manufacturing plant. Connick plays a union rep who falls for Zellweger.
For her part, Zellweger was more gracious about the occasional discomfort of shooting in Winnipeg.
"There were so many things about that city that were just so charming," she said.
"It was highly entertaining and very educational."
"That was a whole new experience and marvellous exercise in developing new survival skills and 'learning' a whole new language for the biological things that happen," she said.
"Nosticals being one," Connick interjected, referring to the ice deposits that can develop beneath the nose on supercold days.
"Who knew pantyhose could be so very important? Three, four pairs at a time," Zellweger said.
"The pantyhose laid out on the bed by wardrobe every morning, they were essential," she asserted. "I would not be here today if not for the pantyhose, I promise you."
Siobhan Fallon Hogan, a one-time Saturday Night Live cast member, plays the role of Zellweger's assistant.
"I'm from Syracuse (N.Y.) so I didn't think it would be much of a challenge," said Hogan. "So when they gave me the package on how to prepare for Winnipeg I chucked it."
"I went out all the time, I went to The Forks all the time. I met lots of people. It's a great city."
"The tenacity of the people it's just so impressive," said Zellweger. "To me, I look outside and say there's no (visible) roads, I guess there's no driving today. But that's not the case, everybody just gets up and gets on with it. That's just normal, that's just commonplace."
"But again, for the record, it's not normal," Connick said.
New in Town is scheduled to open in theatres across North America Jan. 30.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 11, 2009 A4
-
WFP Hockey
Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates
-
Editor's Bulletin
Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand
-
Winnipeg Jets
All things NHL on our Jets landing page
-
Twitter
Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter
-
News Cafe
Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events
-
Facebook Fanpage
Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events
Ads by Google
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
Poll
Most Popular
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Two Mounties shot and wounded in rural area southeast of Edmonton
- Jets defeat Leafs 2-1
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- Slain woman appears before jury on video
- Man found dead in Mounties shooting case; search on for suspect
- Should the federal government be spending $7.5 million on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee?
- LeAnn Rimes in pain following 'minor surgery'
- City family donates $1 million for endowed research chair in cardiology
- Madonna 'not impressed' over M.I.A Super Bowl finger
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Three winning tickets sold for Friday's $50 million Lotto Max jackpot
- Woman sexually assaulted during noon-hour in Exchange District
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Stobbe said slaying during shopping trip 'strange': sister-in-law
- Eleven people killed after truck hits van in southwestern Ontario
- Tactical squad storms St. Vital house
- Restaurant Dubrovnik may be closed for good
- Do you smoke marijuana?
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- George Clooney's prank could end Pitt's career
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Tina Maze strips down to her sports bra to send out underwear message: 'Not your business'
- Group's speed-limit sign removed from Pembina Highway
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Two children, two women die in fire
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- Census 2011 : Immigrant influx boosts Manitoban population
- Trapped bear commits vehicular mauling, also manages to open garage door
- Power outage over
- Two Mounties shot and wounded in rural area southeast of Edmonton
- Winnipeg software company ranked top employer
- Stobbe said slaying during shopping trip 'strange': sister-in-law
- RIM up against 'bring your own device' trend in workplace where it dominated
- Insidious disease killing city trees
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Northern fishing lodge destroyed by fire
- Police target drivers talking on cellphones, texting
- Obama torn by conflicting allies
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Time, it appears, is on Assad's side
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Paddler Starkell was modern-day voyageur
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Local shooting spoofed on SNL
- Winnipeg mother watches as car stolen with child inside
- Canadian woman 'badly injured' in Mexico, local media report apparent beating
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- 4 dead in northern Ontario plane crash
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.